🤖🦿 A Soft Robotic Suit Could Make Standing Up Easier
Standing up from a chair sounds simple — but for many older adults, reduced strength and coordination can make it surprisingly difficult.
Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed a lightweight soft exosuit designed to assist exactly that movement.
🔹 Artificial tendons provide support
The suit uses thigh sensors and a small motor unit worn like a backpack. When it detects that the wearer is standing or walking, the motor pulls artificial tendons to assist the hips.
🔹 Tested with older adults
Ten people aged 69–85 with reduced lower-limb functional performance tested the system.
🔹 Standing became faster
Participants completed an average of 18 sit-to-stand cycles per minute with assistance — about two more cycles per minute than before. Some participants completed up to four additional cycles per minute, while cycle duration was reduced by as much as 21.9%.
🔹 Walking also became more efficient
The study reported an average 14% reduction in metabolic cost during walking, with the largest individual improvement reaching 27.5%.
👕 And it isn’t a bulky robot suit.
Researchers say participants found it comfortable enough to wear over normal clothing and still felt in control of their movements.
The potential applications include elderly care, rehabilitation, and helping people maintain independence for longer.
Robotics isn’t always about making humans stronger — sometimes it’s about giving the body just enough assistance to keep everyday movements possible. 🤖❤️
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